A CAMPAIGN is under way to raise a statue to George Hudson, York's "Railway King".

The Victorian entrepreneur, who brought the railways to York, fell from grace when his dubious financial dealings came to light.

Today Robert Beaumont, author of a new biography of Hudson, said: "There should be a statue, because he helped to create York as a railway centre."

York Civic Trust chairman Darrell Buttery said: "It's high time that Hudson was better recognised."

Updated: 11:27 Monday, February 25, 2002